Passive metering for pour-over coffee brewing

Abstract

In pour-over brewing, a vessel containing water can be suspended over a brew basket so that the water can drain, under gravity, into the brew basket and onto the coffee, and the water level in the brew basket is used to regulate the flow of water from the vessel. A vessel that is closed, other than the mouth thereof, and containing brew-heated water, is suspended over the brew basket so that the water can drain from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket and into the ground coffee to brew liquid coffee, which drains into a container. Rising of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket, and lowering of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for pour-over brewing of coffee, the method comprising: supporting a quantity of ground coffee in a brew basket having at least one coffee drainage aperture formed therethrough; suspending a vessel containing brew-heated water over the brew basket so that the water in the vessel can drain under gravity from a mouth of the vessel into the brew basket and into the ground coffee to brew liquid coffee, the vessel being closed other than the mouth thereof; and draining the liquid coffee into a container; wherein: rising of a level of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket; and lowering of the level of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein: the vessel is positioned with its mouth within the brew basket; rising of the level of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by obstructing a flow of air into the vessel when the level of the water reaches the mouth of the vessel; and lowering of the level of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by permitting the flow of air into the vessel when the level of the water falls below the mouth of the vessel. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a passive metering valve is interposed in a fluid path between the mouth of the vessel and the brew basket. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the passive metering valve is configurable, relative to the mouth of the vessel, in: an open configuration in which the water in the vessel can drain under gravity from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket; and a closed configuration in which drainage of the water in the vessel from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket is inhibited. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein: when the passive metering valve is in the closed configuration, drainage of the water in the vessel from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket is inhibited by obstruction of a flow of air into the vessel to inhibit displacement of the water in the vessel; and when the passive metering valve is in the open configuration, drainage of the water in the vessel from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket is permitted by permitting the flow of air into the vessel to displace the water in the vessel. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein: a float portion of the passive metering valve is buoyantly supported by the water in the brew basket; rising of the level of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion moving the passive metering valve into the closed configuration; and lowering of the level of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion moving the passive metering valve into the open configuration. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein: the passive metering valve comprises the float portion and a reservoir carried by the float portion; the reservoir being in fluid communication with the vessel for receiving the water from the vessel; the reservoir overflowing into the brew basket; rising of the level of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion raising the passive metering valve until the water in the reservoir obstructs the flow of air into the vessel; and lowering of the level of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion lowering the passive metering valve until the flow of air into the vessel is unobstructed by the water in the reservoir and the water in the reservoir overflows from the reservoir into the brew basket upon displacement by the water from the vessel. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein: the reservoir is formed by a tube depending from and sealed off from the float portion; the tube having at least one water drainage aperture longitudinally spaced from the float portion; an end of the tube remote from the float portion being open for receiving the water from the vessel; rising of the level of the water in the brew basket causes interruption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion raising the passive metering valve until the water in the tube obstructs the flow of air into the vessel; and lowering of the level of the water in the brew basket causes resumption of drainage of the water from the mouth of the vessel into the brew basket by flotation of the float portion lowering the passive metering valve until the flow of air into the vessel is unobstructed by the water in the tube and the water in the tube can drain from the tube through the at least one water drainage aperture into the brew basket. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a filter is interposed between the ground coffee and the at least one coffee drainage aperture formed through the brew basket. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the brew basket includes an integral filter.